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1995-96 SHL season
The 1995-96 SHL season was the first and last season of the Southern Hockey League and the league's fourth season overall. The league was previously known as the Sunshine Hockey League. After the season the league merged with the Central Hockey League. Franchise changes *The Fresno Falcons joined the West Coast Hockey League. *The West Palm Beach Blaze were renamed the West Palm Beach Barracudas *The Daytona Beach Sun Devils folded and were replaced by the Daytona Beach Breakers. *The Lakeland Ice Warriors were renamed the Lakeland Prowlers. *The league added the Huntsville Channel Cats and Winston-Salem Mammoths were added as expansion teams Standings Team GP W L T OTL PTS GF GA PIM Lakeland Prowlers 60 41 13 6 0 88 342 229 1291 Daytona Beach Breakers 60 33 20 7 0 73 297 251 2487 Winston-Salem Mammoths 60 30 23 7 0 67 273 274 2110 Huntsville Channel Cats 60 27 31 2 0 56 274 294 2191 West Palm Beach Barracudas 60 26 32 2 0 54 251 319 2084 Jacksonville Bullets 60 23 33 4 0 50 282 352 1791 Playoffs Format The top four teams qualified for the playoffs. The first and fourth place teams playe one another and the second and third place teams played one another in a best-of-five series. The winners of these two series met for the league championship in a best-of-seven series. Semifinals *Huntsville Channel Cats defeated Lakeland Prowlers three games to two, 6-7, 5-8, 3-2, 5-3, 5-2 *Winston-Salem Mammoths defeated Daytona Beach Breakers, three games to one, 3-4, 6-1, 5-3, 8-3 Final *Huntsville Channel Cats defeated Winston-Salem Mammoths four games to one, 3-5, 4-3, 4-3, 8-7, 5-2 League leaders Top 10 goal scorers Player Team G Craig Mittleholt Jacksonville 60 Yvan Corbin Winston Salem 52 Jim Larkin Lakeland 50 Justin Tomberlin Lakeland 46 Chris George Daytona Beach 45 Lenny Pereira Lakeland 44 Randy Murphy Lakeland 40 Greg Murray Jacksonville 38 Alexei Deev Winston Salem 37 Angelo Russo West Palm Beach 36 Scott Milroy Daytona Beach 36 Alex Kholomeyev Huntsville 36 Top 10 assists Player Team A Lenny Pereira Lakeland 73 Randy Murphy Lakeland 69 Ben Wyzansky Lakeland 62 Stephen Sangermano Daytona Beach 60 Marty Diamond Lakeland 58 Jonathan Dubois Huntsville 55 Donald MacPherson Daytona Beach 53 Alexei Deev Winston Salem 51 Cory Gustafson Jacksonville 50 Justin Tomberlin Lakeland 48 Jim Larkin Lakeland 48 Top 10 points Player Team PTS Lenny Pereira Lakeland 117 Randy Murphy Lakeland 109 Craig Mittleholt Jacksonville 104 Jim Larkin Lakeland 98 Yvan Corbin Winston Salem 95 Stephen Sangermano Daytona Beach 94 Justin Tomberlin Lakeland 94 Marty Diamond Lakeland 89 Alexei Deev Winston Salem 88 Jonathan Dubois Huntsville 83 Chris George Daytona Beach 83 Top 10 penalty minutes Player Team PIM Bryce Davidson Daytona Beach 413 Mike Degurse Winston Salem 302 Marty Gareau West Palm Beach 256 Roger Larche West Palm Beach 238 Dan O'Brien 2 teams 237 Jamie Allan Winston Salem 233 Jonathan Dubois Huntsville 230 Phil Esposito Jacksonville 210 Jack Greig Huntsville 205 Tom Moulton Winston Salem 200 Top goaltenders Fallout from the merger with the Central Hockey League *The league had already announced three expansion teams for the 1996-97 season, they were the Columbus Cottonmouths, Macon Whoopee, and Nashville Nighthawks. All of these teams were added as expansion teams in the Central Hockey League. *The Huntsville Channel Cats joined the Central Hockey League *The Daytona Beach Breakers, Jacksonville Bullets, Lakeland Prowlers, and West Palm Beach Barracudas folded with the league. *The Winston-Salem Mammoths had folded prior to the merger Category:Southern Hockey League (1995-1996) Category:1996 in hockey